Missoula Disaster Recovery Center opens

A state and federal Disaster Recovery Center is opening in Missoula to assist individuals and businesses that were affected by the storms and flooding this spring.

The Missoula center opens at 1 p.m. on Aug. 18 and will be staffed with disaster recovery specialists who can provide information and answer questions about flood-related assistance. The disaster recovery center will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Aug. 22.

“Missoula County residents, especially in the Orchard Homes subdivision of Missoula, were hit hard by flooding this year,” said Montana Disaster and Emergency Services Administrator Ed Tinsley. “Governor Schweitzer encourages all residents who were affected to register with FEMA, and if you need assistance to visit the Recovery Center.”

Homeowners, renters and businesses, whether insured or not, should register with FEMA by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or going online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. Registration by mobile device is also available atm.fema.gov. Multilingual registration can be done by phone. If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 1-800-462-7585 TTY directly.

“Disaster Recovery Centers are a great resource to residents who have questions about flood-related assistance,” FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Doug Mayne said. “I strongly encourage those affected by the flooding to make registering with FEMA a priority.”

“Even if you registered with your county office, you are not registered with FEMA,” Mayne said. “The only way to register is to call or go online.”

FEMA provides temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation, medical and dental and funeral and burial expenses. By registering, individuals will also receive an application for a low-interest loan from the Small Business Association. No one is required to take a loan from the SBA, but loan applications must be submitted to be eligible for the full range of assistance available from FEMA